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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · land · bear · kid · fan · wake · coach · club

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — child
  4. land — ground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. club — for golf
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com